Pork Safe For Cooking In New Way

PORK CAN BE tender, juicy, flavorful and safe to eat when cooked in the microwave oven--thanks to a major breakthrough in cooking procedures developed by the National Live Stock and Meat Board.

In the past, cooks have been warned about the dangers of cooking pork in the microwave oven. Meat cooks irregularly under microwaves. Temperatures within a roast or thick chop can vary by 50 degrees. For instance, the internal temperature of a pork roast would reach the recommended 170 degrees while the actual surface temperature would be only 120 degrees. Normally that`s not much of a safety problem, but in pork that means parasites that cause trichinosis might survive. Trichinosis is a disease with flu-like symptoms.

Although the risk of contracting trichinosis from microwaved pork is small, use of these new procedures would virtually eliminate it, researchers say.

THE KEY IS to cook uniform cuts of pork in a closed container, such as a loosely sealed cooking bag or a covered microwave-safe container, in order to entrap hot moisture, which cooks the meat more evenly. By using these methods, pork cooked to an internal temperature of 170 degrees is safe and palatable.

These new procedures were developed as a result of a study conducted by Gerling Laboratories, Modesto, Calif., and Iowa State University and coordinated by the Pork Industry Group of the Meat Board.

For the study, all efforts were made to duplicate normal marketing procedures and cutting techniques, but meat infected with Trichinella spiralis was used instead of normal meat. Particular attention was given to uniformity of cut, including weights and dimensions. The cuts selected approximated lean- to-fat ratios of today`s pork. More than 450 boneless roasts, bone-in roasts and chops were cooked using the new microwave cooking procedures. Following cooking, each sample was tested for Trichinella spiralis. No viable organism was found in any of the pork cuts.

For home cooks, then, here are the Meat Board recommendations for cooking fresh pork cuts in the microwave.

2. Place ribs, bones down, into a 14-by-20-inch oven cooking bag; add 1 cup water and close bag loosely with string or a 1/2-inch strip cut from open end of bag. Place bag in a microwave-safe baking dish.

3. Allow 14 to 16 minutes per pound. Micowave at medium (50 percent)

power. Invert or turn ribs, rearranging carefully halfway through cooking period and rotate dish a half turn, if desired.

4. Carefully untie bag and remove spareribs. There is no standing time upon removal from oven.

Note: To improve appearance, meat can be brushed with browning sauce or ribs may be marinated and then cooked with the marinade in the bag.

2. Place pork cubes or pieces into a 10-by-16-inch oven cooking bag; add 1 cup water and close bag loosely with string or a 1/2-inch strip cut from open end of bag. Place bag in microwave-safe baking dish.